HARLAN -- Goals for the past year and future organizational goals for Myrtue Medical Center were reviewed at the MMC Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday morning. CEO Barry Jacobsen gave a presentation on the highlights of past and future goals. Jacobsen outlined goals under six pillars including community, finance, growth, people, quality and service.     The board approved the organizational goals following Jacobsen’s presentation.

    LOS ANGELES, CA -- Paul Rust, grandson of Joan and Ted Sondag and Paul and Lucille Rust, has stepped onto many stages in his life, but now it’s his turn to be on screen.    The actor grew up in Le Mars with his parents Jeanne Sondag Rust, Bob Rust and his two sisters.

    HARLAN -- Variety Distributors, Inc. is celebrating their 70th anniversary.

    HARLAN – Negligible trinkets and small gifts at Christmas time are okay, but gratuities amounting to anything of significant value such as high dollar gift cards or hundreds of dollars in cash provided to staff should be avoided in the future in the Harlan Community Schools.    Not that anything like that has taken place in the past, said Justin Wagner, HCS Superintendent of Schools, but going forward the school district is being proactive

    AMES – Former Harlan Community High School students Sarah Lucke and Megan Euchner have been instrumental in fundraising for scholarship dollars in memory of a friend and fellow Iowa State University student who lost her life in a hit-and-run accident on campus last December.    Lucke (formerly Sarah Olson, Harlan) said this month that the Emmalee Jacobs Memorial Scholarship through the College of Business officially hit its goal of $25,000

New teachers and administration at the Shelby County Catholic School include from left: Allison Gross, second grade; Cindy Schwery, music; Bree Malone, third grade; and Josh De Weerd, principal.  (Photo by Kim Wegener)

HARLAN -- Students and staff headed back to the classroom this week as the beginning of the school year got under way at Harlan Community on Tuesday, Aug. 23. 

    PANAMA -- The Shelby County Trails Committee is in the early stages of planning a new bike trail that will run five miles from Panama to Portsmouth.    “We just want to get trails in the county is what it amounts to,” said Dean Kloewer, member of the Shelby County Trails committee.    The Wabash Trace Nature Trail currently has plans to extend to nearby towns within the next few years.

    REGIONAL -- Local officials are saying the threat of Zika virus transmission in the Shelby County area and the state of Iowa is extremely low.    Yet there is a risk to Iowans when they travel to Zika-affected areas.    The continued transmission of Zika virus in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and a very small area of Miami, FL, means those who travel to these areas of local, active transmission should be aware of the Zika risk.

    HARLAN – Gene Gettys, Jr. will be the next Harlan city administrator after accepting an offer of employment from the Harlan City Council Friday, Aug.

    HARLAN – With the hiring of Gene Gettys, Jr. as the community’s new city administrator, city officials say he will have to resign as mayor.    In planning, the Harlan City Council initially voted Friday, Aug.

    REGIONAL -- School districts in the greater Shelby County area have begun classes for the year, and local officials are urging motorists to be on the lookout for children as they make their way to and from school.    For the third school year in Harlan, motorists are reminded of the crosswalk/red light along the busy Chatburn Ave.

    DES MOINES -- Highlights involving participants from Shelby County at the Iowa State Fair.

    DES MOINES -- Shelby County area dancers performed in the Bill Riley Talent Show at the Iowa State Fair this past week.

    HARLAN -- A 2001 Porsche owned by Roger A. Wright, Irwin, was listed as a total loss after the parking brake failed and it rolled into Prairie Rose Lake Friday evening, Aug.